Young daughter of BYU running backs coach fighting for her life

SALT LAKE CITY — Elsie Mahe, the three-year-old daughter of BYU running backs coach and former NFL running back Reno Mahe, is fighting for her life at Primary Children's Hospital.

"About ten o'clock this morning, his daughter was playing in one of the rooms in their home and somehow, nobody is exactly sure, she got the cord from mini blinds wrapped around her throat," said Jeremy Roberts, a family spokesman.

Roberts said a 4-year-old friend of Elsie's found her and got Sunny Mahe, Elsie's mom. Sunny started CPR. After emergency crews arrived, Elsie was flown to Primary Children's Hospital.

"They've got her on a respirator, she's partially breathing on her own, they're supporting that, she is intubated," said Roberts.

Doctors have told the family they will keep her sedated for 24 to 48 hours to give her body time to rest and heal, Roberts said. They don't know how long she was hanging from the cord and without oxygen. It may take a few days to understand the extent of her injury.

Online, there has been an outpouring of support. A Facebook group called "Mähe Update" has been set up. Friends, family and neighbors have been expressing their love in a series of posts.

"Everybody who knows them, knows that they are part of that family. So it's interesting, you don't feel like it's somebody else's kid, you feel like it's part of your family," said Roberts.

Roberts said the family has good insurance and lots of community and family support. Still, there are expenses like hotel rooms and arrangements for grandparents coming into town to help.